Definetely eye-candy!





and the forend

wow!!!!!!!!!!

Your record remains pure... you've never posted any photos of your guns that AREN'T simply amazing.

Bill, that looks like the blank you bought from Trez a couple of years ago. I am still kicking myself for not jumping on it. Simply magnificent!

No that's not it. A friend of mine saw the blank I got from Trez at my stockmaker's and started to shiver, whimper, and moan.

I ignored this pitiful display as long as I could but when he started stacking $100 bills on the work-bench I realized the blank was going to change hands. The finished wood was really amazing and he's shooting the gun really well.

Bill,

A beautiful piece of wood and work but just think how much nicer something like that would look on a fine Scottish sidelock ejector...... and I happen to have one that could do with a new stock.

So if you have a similar piece of wood I'll be happy to let you use it to restock my Dickson if you really insist.

Hi Steve,

I wish I could find a photo of a Purdey 16ga I bought at the Las Vegas gun show about 20 years ago --- that I had restocked in the finest piece of wood (color and grain)I've ever seen.

I shot a lot of pheasants with it --- 28" barrels choked IC/F, VR and something you don't seen very ofter on a Purdey -- a single-trigger. It had been beautifully engraved (spaniels and pheasants in gold) by Kenny Hunt and this is probably the only gun I really regret selling - but at the time I had a two sons in college -- one in law school and the other in grad school -- and the money was really good.

Here's a nice piece of English Walnut on my all-around gun -- a K-80 I restored. Photo doesn't really do justice to the color.

Damn but you know how to make a man's mouth water! - That really is stunning wood and stunning work on stunning guns!

I've just bought a 1926 John Dickson & Son 12 gauge sidelock ejector (sadly not round action) that is stocked for a right hander...... The problem is I'm a lefty!!!!

I can't seem to find anyone out here in RSA who can swing a stock so assuming I can't shoot it as it is, I'll try to find someone who can restock it to straight stock (the same as my .500 Jeffery) but finding a piece of wood that'll do it justice ain't gonna be easy!

There are a lot of 'smiths here in the US that can bend a stock for you. If it is strongly left-handed and you need strongly right-handed probably won't work but if you just need it back to neutral it might be worth a try.

A lot will depend on the flow of the wood grain and how the grip and trigger guard are inletted.

I've also found that if it has toe-out for a left-handed shooter it's pretty much a lost cause.

If you come over for SCI I could probably put you onto a 'smith --- the problem is in most cases if it breaks you're out of luck.

Bill

Bill,

Thanks for the info.

I found a pic and instructions of/for a stock bending machine on page 4 or 5 of the gunsmithing forum and have sent them to Sabi Rifles who made my rifles.... I'll go down there tomorrow and hope I can talk them into making one and if I can, I'll have them try to swing it for me.

Otherwise I'll swallow hard and have them make me a straight stock...... they've already quoted me about US$2K for that which is a lot cheaper than having it done in the UK and probably less than in the US.

I got a VERY good deal on the Dickson so I guess I can afford to put some money into it if I have to.

BTW, the stock is currently for a right handed shooter and I'm a southpaw. My rifles are straight stock though and I'd like the shotgun the same.

Joe Shiozaki of JS Air-Cushion Stocks in Azusa, CA has done a couple for me that didn't need a lot of movement (have seen him move a couple quite a bit but he doesn't suggest it) and he used 2 heat lamps to provide the heat. One thing I noticed is he moves them a little more than they need as there is always some amount of spring back in the wood.

This http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/4001086131 thread and particularly the 5th post down seems to give you all the info needed to make and operate one without any great hassle.

To me the most complicated thing is keeping the oil at the right temperature which you could do with a thermostat and finding a pump that can deal with the hot oil but other than that, it looks fairly straightforward.

I don't have a workshop any more but if I did, I'd make one myself. - As I don't, I hope I can convince my local rifle maker to make one.

According to the post, you overbend by about 20% to start with.

They've been doing it for hundreds of years and even the Vikings were using the method for building boats, so it can't be that difficult.................... can it?

Steve ---- I'm trying to get some more info for you but my 'smith did suggest that before try to bend a stock that you care about you should practice on a couple that you don't care if they break or not.

If you could send me some pics showing the grip area from each side plus the top and bottom I can print them out and show them to him and see what he thinks. One of the photos from the top or bottom should show how much cast the stock has.

I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address.

That's really good you... thanks buddy.

I've emailed you what I have but can take more tomorrow if necessary.... all you have to do is let me know!

Thanks again!